POP-1 and anterior-posterior fate decisions in C. elegans embryos.
Blastomeres in C. elegans embryos execute lineage programs wherein the fate of a cell is correlated reproducibly with the division sequence by which that cell is born. We provide evidence that the pop-1 gene functions to link anterior-posterior cell divisions with cell fate decisions. Each anterior cell resulting from an anterior-posterior division appears to have a higher level of nuclear POP-1 protein than does its posterior sister. Genes in the C. elegans Wnt pathway are required for this inequality in POP-1 levels. We show that loss of pop-1(+) activity leads to several types of anterior cells adopting the fates of their posterior sisters. These results suggest a mechanism for the invariance of blastomere lineages.
Lin
R
R
Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.
Hill
R J
RJ
Priess
J R
JR
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001757:Blastomeres / Q000737:chemistry; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002455:Cell Division; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017238:Genes, Helminth / Q000502:physiology; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C096787:pop-1 protein, C elegans